Thanks to our amazing community our matched giving target has been reached!
Thousands of Australians face the race of their life to beat heart disease
Your gift is still so important to help accelerate lifesaving heart research
Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) affects one in 250 Australians like India (pictured). A leading cause of heart failure, DCM can cause significant, potentially deadly heart damage before any symptoms appear. India went from being a star athlete with olympic dreams at 17, to needing a heart transplant to survive by age 22.
Our researchers are working to develop precise genetic testing that can diagnose patients before symptoms appear – ensuring they receive lifesaving treatments before irreversible damage occurs.
Thanks to our amazing community our matched giving goal of $128,000 has now been reached.
This wouldn't have been possible without a special group of our generous donors who provided this matched giving fund - thank you!
Your tax time gift is still so important in the race against heart disease. Please donate today and give research a head start on beating heart disease to save lives.
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How your gift today will help support crucial research
$66
provides essential lab materials and chemicals
$127
allows our researchers to collect DNA samples from heart disease patients
$228
provides cutting-edge equipment to study genetic causes of heart disease
$504
allows us to study one heart disease patient's entire genetic makeup using whole genome sequencing
The race of India's life was against heart disease
When India was 17 she had the world at her feet, with dreams of one day racing in the Olympics. But just five years later, she was suffering severe heart failure, and a heart transplant was the only hope of saving her life.
You might wonder how could this happen to someone so young, healthy and active? Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) was silently destroying India’s heart by causing the main chamber in her heart to enlarge and weaken. By the time she collapsed, the damage was already done.
Stopping DCM in its tracks: The next phase of research is crucial
World-leading scientist Professor Diane Fatkin has dedicated over 20 years to helping families affected by heart disease. Her team is racing to provide answers for every patient affected by DCM.
Professor Fatkin’s goal is to develop precise genetic testing that can diagnose patients before symptoms appear and irreversible damage occurs – ensuring they receive treatments to stop DCM in its tracks. Her team is also investigating how lifestyle factors like alcohol consumption, obesity or exercise play a role in the progression of DCM.
It’s not just our scientists who are trying to beat DCM. A remarkable little helper called a zebrafish is helping to unlock its secrets. These tiny tropical wonders share similar genes with humans, allowing researchers to safely examine genetic and lifestyle factors.
With your support, we can turn research into lifesaving breakthroughs.
The devastating impact of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM)
DCM weakens the heart’s main chamber and can cause severe heart failure
DCM affects 1 in 250 Australians - that’s over 100,000 people nationwide, and 32 million globally
Every nine minutes, someone is admitted to hospital in Australia with heart failure
Many people with DCM remain undiagnosed until heart damage is irreversible
